Funerary mask

Gold

Philippines, 10th – 13th century

Height: 7 / 2,5 ; Width: 12 / 7 cm

Funerary face covers of this type were found in former burial sites in Indonesia and the Philippines, where precious items had an important meaning, during life as much as in the afterlife. Gold pieces buried with the deceased guaranteed his social status and wealth, as weel as in the hereafter. Cut in beaten gold, these funerary masks could cover the entire face or underline its main features. They could also help to hold the soul of the deceased and to prevent it from wandering in the world of the livings and disturbing it.